CA1203854A - Welding gun with multi-directional switch - Google Patents
Welding gun with multi-directional switchInfo
- Publication number
- CA1203854A CA1203854A CA000455769A CA455769A CA1203854A CA 1203854 A CA1203854 A CA 1203854A CA 000455769 A CA000455769 A CA 000455769A CA 455769 A CA455769 A CA 455769A CA 1203854 A CA1203854 A CA 1203854A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- handle
- spring means
- wall
- tubular
- longitudinal axis
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 68
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 24
- 230000000994 depressogenic effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000011800 void material Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 description 12
- 230000035945 sensitivity Effects 0.000 description 3
- 210000003811 finger Anatomy 0.000 description 2
- 210000003813 thumb Anatomy 0.000 description 2
- 229910001369 Brass Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910000906 Bronze Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- OAICVXFJPJFONN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Phosphorus Chemical compound [P] OAICVXFJPJFONN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 208000003251 Pruritus Diseases 0.000 description 1
- DMFGNRRURHSENX-UHFFFAOYSA-N beryllium copper Chemical compound [Be].[Cu] DMFGNRRURHSENX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000010951 brass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000010974 bronze Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229940000425 combination drug Drugs 0.000 description 1
- KUNSUQLRTQLHQQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N copper tin Chemical compound [Cu].[Sn] KUNSUQLRTQLHQQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000000881 depressing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009429 electrical wiring Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K9/00—Arc welding or cutting
- B23K9/24—Features related to electrodes
- B23K9/28—Supporting devices for electrodes
- B23K9/29—Supporting devices adapted for making use of shielding means
- B23K9/291—Supporting devices adapted for making use of shielding means the shielding means being a gas
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
- H01H9/02—Bases, casings, or covers
- H01H9/06—Casing of switch constituted by a handle serving a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. by the handle of a vacuum cleaner
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H1/00—Contacts
- H01H1/12—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage
- H01H1/14—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting
- H01H1/24—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with resilient mounting
- H01H1/242—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with resilient mounting the contact forming a part of a coil spring
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Resistance Welding (AREA)
- Arc Welding In General (AREA)
Abstract
WELDING GUN WITH MULTI-DIRECTIONAL SWITCH
ABSTRACT
A welding gun having a switch comprising two spaced apart coaxial conducting springs which act as switch contacts for completing a circuit to initiate a welding process. A
coaxial flexible wall in the handle of the welding gun surrounds the two springs such that, when a welding machine operator depressed the flexible wall, the two springs make electrical contact to complete the circuit. When the flexible wall is released, the springs return to their original positions, thereby interrupting the electrical circuit.
ABSTRACT
A welding gun having a switch comprising two spaced apart coaxial conducting springs which act as switch contacts for completing a circuit to initiate a welding process. A
coaxial flexible wall in the handle of the welding gun surrounds the two springs such that, when a welding machine operator depressed the flexible wall, the two springs make electrical contact to complete the circuit. When the flexible wall is released, the springs return to their original positions, thereby interrupting the electrical circuit.
Description
~2~38~
WELDING GUN WITH MULTI-DIRECTIONhL SWITCH
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention This inventlon relates generally to the field of welding guns and, more particularly, to a welding gun having an improved switch which can be manually operated by a weldlnp machine operator to initiate a welding process regardless of the orientation of the welding gun in the operator's hand.
Description of the Prior Art Welding guns, especially those used for gas metal arc welding, normally have a trigger mechanism for operating a switch for starting and stopping a welding process.
Typically, this trigger mechanism is a lever arrangement located on the handle of the gun near the arc end thereof.
Most welding machine operators judge as convenient a trigger mechanism that depresses easily and has overtravel, because the operator wants both a low depression force to reduce fatigue and also overtravel to reduce sensitivity so that, when he must reposition his hand during long welds, the switch does not release to open the welding circuit and stop the welding process.
The position of the trigger mechanism on the handle of the welding gun is also important. The nature of some welding procedures often dictates that a trigger mechanism actuated from the top of the welding gun is most convenient.
However, other welding procedures may dictate that a bottom actuated trigger is more convenient, while still other weld procedures make side triggers more convenient. Furth~rmore, some operators prefer to actuate the trigger with their thumb, while others prefer to use the other fingers of their hand.
In summary, a good welding gun trigger mechanism will have the following features:
A. Easily depressed.
B. Overtravel to reduce sensitivity from opening.
C. Be easily reposi~ionable so that the trigger ., .
~.~3~5~
can be actuated from the top, sides or bottom of the handle of the welding gun.
To address feature C, above, some gun manufacturer~
have made provisions for repositloning the trigger mechanism with respect to the arc end of the gun. In some case3 the1y have provided means which permit the handle to be dis-assembled and then reassembled in such a way that the position of the trigger on the handle is changed. In ot'ner words 7 they have designed the welding gun so that the arc end can be repositioned with respoct to the handle and the trigger; this result is normally accomplished hy some sort of rotatable head tube and lock nut assemby. However, the ~laws in both of these cases are obvious. In the first case, the gun m-lst ~e dismantled to a~just tl1e relative position of the trigger. The second case requires less effort, but the welding current must pass thro~gh a movable joint.
Furthermor~, to make and properly secure a good electrical connection often requires tools. Sometimes, this feature of making the trigger repositionable i8 accomplished by a com bination of he two cases if the handle is disassembled to make the positioning arraage~ent operable In another case, a separate trigger switch assembly :læ externally clamped to the welding gun. In such a case the trigger projects out-wardly from the profile of the ~7elding gun handle, the electrical conductors connecting the switch get in the way of the operator, and the switch itself is bulky and vulner~
able to abuso.
These and other prior art welding guns with trigger mechanisms are shown, for example, in United States Patent Nos. 3,469,070, 3,597,049, 3,783,233 and 3,980,860. Further-more, switches generally employing spring conduetors are shown ir U.S. Patent Nos. 2~65l,689, 3,706~864 and 3,743,79 and in French Patent No. 1,372,023.
However, untll the present invention, no one has made a welding gun havlng a switch tha~ can be operated from any direction wlth overtravel, and without requiring dismantling of the gun or ~he use of tools. Nor is there available in the prior art any welding gun in which the trigger mechanism mechanism can be repositioned during actual welding.
SUMMARY OF T~IE IN~/FNTIO~I
Therefore, the primary object of this invention is to provide a welding gun with a multi-directional switch mechanism which does not have to be repositioned relative to the we]ding gun handle to accomtnodate different welding positions. A further object is to provide such a Mul~i-directional switch mechan:Lsm which is easily depressed, and wl-ich provides overtravel to reduce sensitivity from opening.
Specifically, the invention is used in a welding glln having an elongated tubular rigid handle including a sT"itch means for electrically completing a circuit to initiate a welding process. The invention relates to the improvement wherein the switch means comprises: a flexible electrically insulating tubular wall completely surrounding a portion of the rigid handle in a circumferential opening thereof and also surrounding a corresponding portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle, the wall being manually depressible at all points around the circumference thereof inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle; electrically con-ducting outer tubular means mounted in the handle interiorly of, and adjacent to, the flexible wall and depressible inwardly when engaged 20 by the wall; and electrically conducting inner tubular means mounted in the handle interiorly of the outer tubular means and adapted to be contacted by the depressed outer tubular means to complete an electrical circuit to initiate a welding process. The tubular means can be spring means and it is possible to provide overtravel of the tubular means when contacted by the outer tubular means.
A preferred embodiment of the invention can be summarized as a switch mer~n;sm for a welding gun wherein a portion of the welding gun handle is provided with a flexible wall which completely encircles the periphery of the handle. Mounted inside the welding gun handle and coaxial with the flexible wall are an outer conducting coil 6pring and an inner conducting coil spring which are spaced apart. Each spring is connected to a different side of an electrical circuit which must be closed to initiate a welding process. To initiate the welding process, the operator merely depresses the flexible wall which causes the outer spring to contact the inner spring, thereby completing the electrical circuit. A void is provided inwardly of tlle inner spring to provide Ich/ ~
85~
for overtravel. When the operator desires to interrupt the welding process, he merely releases the fle~ible wall, thereby perMitting the two springs to return to their original positlons and open the electricaJ, circuit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIO~ OF TIIE DRAWING
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the invention employing two wound coil spring elernents.
Fig. 2 is a schematic circuit and block diagram of a typical welding system incorporating the invention.
Pig. 3 ilJustrates another embodiment of the invention in which the inner coil spring element is replaced by a rigid metallic tube which may or may not be suspended by sponge rubber or other material to obtain a degree of overtravelO
- 3a -" ~, j~ .
kh/', ~211385~
Fig. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein the outer wound coil spring is replaced by an accordion-type spring.
Fig. 5 is another embodiment of the invention wherein the outer coil spring element is replaced b~ a tube made ~f conducting plastic or rubber.
Fig. 6 illustrates anothe~ embodiment of the invention wherein the outer spring element is an oval spring.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TH~ PREFERRED
~MBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. A welding gun 10 is of the type used for gas metal arc welding and consists of a cylindrical tubular rigid plastic casing 12 enclosing a head tube 14 through which shielding gas passes from right to left, eventually emerging from a nozzle 15-connected to the end of the head tube. Head tube 14 also encloses a monocoil liner 47 through which a welding wire 45 passes from right to left, ultimately exiting from contact tube 48. The welding gun has a generally cylindrical tubular handle portion 16 also made of rigid plastic which in conjunction with casing 12 provides a means to support rubber boot or sleeve 20 which forms a flexible, electrically insulating wall between the rigid handle portion 16 and case 12. Spaced radially in-wardly from the flexible wall 20 is an outer switch coil spring 22 made of conducting material, such as spring brass, phosphor bronze, beryllium copper or plated s~eel. Spaced radially inwardly from outer switch spring 22 is an inner ; switch coil spring 24 whi-h is also made of conducting material. The springs 22 and 24 are supported on internal shoulders 25, 26 and 27~ 28 respectively, of handle portion 16 and casing 12~ Shoulders 27 and 28 provide a cylindrical space or void 29 beneath spring 24, thereby permitting an inward overtravel of the springs when they are depressed.
An end portion 30 of switch spring 22 is connected to a switch lead 32 by means of a connector 34. ~n end portion 36 of the inner switch spring 24 is similarly :a21313OE~
connected to another switch lead 38 by means of a connector 40. These leads are contained within a welding cable 42 which exits from the back end of welding gun 10. The leads are connected to a circuit containing start/stop relay 43 which operates its contacts 43a to close a circult to a con-ventional welding power source and wire feeder 44 which initiates a welding process by applying a voltage to the welding wire 45 and lnitiating operation of a wire feeder to produce an arc between the welding wire and a workpiece 46.
In operation, when the welding machine operator desires to initiate a welding process, he depresses the flexible in-sulating wall 20 radially inwardly with either his thumb or a finger. When the outer switch spring 22 is engaged by the wall, it is also depressed radially inwardly until it engages the inner switch spring 24, thereby forming an electrical connection between the two springs and completing the circuit through the switch leads 32 and 38, thus allowing control power to flow through the switch leads to energize the start/
stop relay 43 and start the arc welding process. The void or space 29 beneath the inner switch spring 24 provides for the desired overtravel of the switch formed by the two springs.
When the operator desires to interrupt the welding process, he releases the pressure from the flexible wall 20, thereby permitting both springs to return to their original positions so that the electrical contact between them is interrupted, whereby the start/stop relay 43 opens and terminates the welding process.
It is important to note that such a switch machanism is multi-directional in the sense that the operator can depress the wall portion 20 at any point on the circumference thereof in order to cause the two springs to engage each other and operate the start/stop relay; thus, there is no need to relocate the switch relative to the welding gun handle in order to accommodate different welding positions. Further-more, the void 29 provides for overtravel, so that, if theoperator does not reposition his hand and relax the pressure on wall 20, the switch is not so sensitive that it will ~4 immediately open, but rather the springs will stay in contact with each other as they move together outwardly. Also, the combination of the flexible wall 20 and the two wound coll springs 22 and 24 provides a switch which is easily depressed.
The switch is not limited to gas metal arc weldlng guns alone, but can be used to control the starting and stopping of other welding processes. Further, the swltch is very simple and very rugged and has only two moving parts, thc two springs 22 and 24. Furthermore, the multi-directional switch does not increase the diameter of the gun handle portion 16 and handle casing 12 since a trigger mechanism is not required.
In addition, all electrical wiring is internal to the handle.
Also, there is no need to disassemble the gun or to use tools in order to relocate the switch when the operator changes the psition of the welding gun in his hand.
Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention in which a rigid metallic tube 24' is used in place of the inner con-tact coil spring 24. In this case, the tube 24' may be supported on a soft sponge rubber mounting 28' which will deflect upon depression and provide overtravel.
As shown in Fig. 4~ the outer coil spring 22 may be replaced by an accordion-type spring 22' which is used in conjunction with the rigid tube 24' and soft sponge rubber mounting 28'.
As shown in Fig. 5, the outer spring 22 can also be replaced with a tube 22'' made of conducting plastic or rubber material.
Fig. 6 shows yet another embodiment wherein the outer spring 22 is replaced by an oval spring 22'''. Depressing the oval spring causes it to deflect against the rigid inner tube 24' to form the electrical connection, and over-travel is obtained from the inward compression or collapsing of the oval spring 22''' itself.
WELDING GUN WITH MULTI-DIRECTIONhL SWITCH
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention This inventlon relates generally to the field of welding guns and, more particularly, to a welding gun having an improved switch which can be manually operated by a weldlnp machine operator to initiate a welding process regardless of the orientation of the welding gun in the operator's hand.
Description of the Prior Art Welding guns, especially those used for gas metal arc welding, normally have a trigger mechanism for operating a switch for starting and stopping a welding process.
Typically, this trigger mechanism is a lever arrangement located on the handle of the gun near the arc end thereof.
Most welding machine operators judge as convenient a trigger mechanism that depresses easily and has overtravel, because the operator wants both a low depression force to reduce fatigue and also overtravel to reduce sensitivity so that, when he must reposition his hand during long welds, the switch does not release to open the welding circuit and stop the welding process.
The position of the trigger mechanism on the handle of the welding gun is also important. The nature of some welding procedures often dictates that a trigger mechanism actuated from the top of the welding gun is most convenient.
However, other welding procedures may dictate that a bottom actuated trigger is more convenient, while still other weld procedures make side triggers more convenient. Furth~rmore, some operators prefer to actuate the trigger with their thumb, while others prefer to use the other fingers of their hand.
In summary, a good welding gun trigger mechanism will have the following features:
A. Easily depressed.
B. Overtravel to reduce sensitivity from opening.
C. Be easily reposi~ionable so that the trigger ., .
~.~3~5~
can be actuated from the top, sides or bottom of the handle of the welding gun.
To address feature C, above, some gun manufacturer~
have made provisions for repositloning the trigger mechanism with respect to the arc end of the gun. In some case3 the1y have provided means which permit the handle to be dis-assembled and then reassembled in such a way that the position of the trigger on the handle is changed. In ot'ner words 7 they have designed the welding gun so that the arc end can be repositioned with respoct to the handle and the trigger; this result is normally accomplished hy some sort of rotatable head tube and lock nut assemby. However, the ~laws in both of these cases are obvious. In the first case, the gun m-lst ~e dismantled to a~just tl1e relative position of the trigger. The second case requires less effort, but the welding current must pass thro~gh a movable joint.
Furthermor~, to make and properly secure a good electrical connection often requires tools. Sometimes, this feature of making the trigger repositionable i8 accomplished by a com bination of he two cases if the handle is disassembled to make the positioning arraage~ent operable In another case, a separate trigger switch assembly :læ externally clamped to the welding gun. In such a case the trigger projects out-wardly from the profile of the ~7elding gun handle, the electrical conductors connecting the switch get in the way of the operator, and the switch itself is bulky and vulner~
able to abuso.
These and other prior art welding guns with trigger mechanisms are shown, for example, in United States Patent Nos. 3,469,070, 3,597,049, 3,783,233 and 3,980,860. Further-more, switches generally employing spring conduetors are shown ir U.S. Patent Nos. 2~65l,689, 3,706~864 and 3,743,79 and in French Patent No. 1,372,023.
However, untll the present invention, no one has made a welding gun havlng a switch tha~ can be operated from any direction wlth overtravel, and without requiring dismantling of the gun or ~he use of tools. Nor is there available in the prior art any welding gun in which the trigger mechanism mechanism can be repositioned during actual welding.
SUMMARY OF T~IE IN~/FNTIO~I
Therefore, the primary object of this invention is to provide a welding gun with a multi-directional switch mechanism which does not have to be repositioned relative to the we]ding gun handle to accomtnodate different welding positions. A further object is to provide such a Mul~i-directional switch mechan:Lsm which is easily depressed, and wl-ich provides overtravel to reduce sensitivity from opening.
Specifically, the invention is used in a welding glln having an elongated tubular rigid handle including a sT"itch means for electrically completing a circuit to initiate a welding process. The invention relates to the improvement wherein the switch means comprises: a flexible electrically insulating tubular wall completely surrounding a portion of the rigid handle in a circumferential opening thereof and also surrounding a corresponding portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle, the wall being manually depressible at all points around the circumference thereof inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle; electrically con-ducting outer tubular means mounted in the handle interiorly of, and adjacent to, the flexible wall and depressible inwardly when engaged 20 by the wall; and electrically conducting inner tubular means mounted in the handle interiorly of the outer tubular means and adapted to be contacted by the depressed outer tubular means to complete an electrical circuit to initiate a welding process. The tubular means can be spring means and it is possible to provide overtravel of the tubular means when contacted by the outer tubular means.
A preferred embodiment of the invention can be summarized as a switch mer~n;sm for a welding gun wherein a portion of the welding gun handle is provided with a flexible wall which completely encircles the periphery of the handle. Mounted inside the welding gun handle and coaxial with the flexible wall are an outer conducting coil 6pring and an inner conducting coil spring which are spaced apart. Each spring is connected to a different side of an electrical circuit which must be closed to initiate a welding process. To initiate the welding process, the operator merely depresses the flexible wall which causes the outer spring to contact the inner spring, thereby completing the electrical circuit. A void is provided inwardly of tlle inner spring to provide Ich/ ~
85~
for overtravel. When the operator desires to interrupt the welding process, he merely releases the fle~ible wall, thereby perMitting the two springs to return to their original positlons and open the electricaJ, circuit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIO~ OF TIIE DRAWING
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the invention employing two wound coil spring elernents.
Fig. 2 is a schematic circuit and block diagram of a typical welding system incorporating the invention.
Pig. 3 ilJustrates another embodiment of the invention in which the inner coil spring element is replaced by a rigid metallic tube which may or may not be suspended by sponge rubber or other material to obtain a degree of overtravelO
- 3a -" ~, j~ .
kh/', ~211385~
Fig. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein the outer wound coil spring is replaced by an accordion-type spring.
Fig. 5 is another embodiment of the invention wherein the outer coil spring element is replaced b~ a tube made ~f conducting plastic or rubber.
Fig. 6 illustrates anothe~ embodiment of the invention wherein the outer spring element is an oval spring.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TH~ PREFERRED
~MBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. A welding gun 10 is of the type used for gas metal arc welding and consists of a cylindrical tubular rigid plastic casing 12 enclosing a head tube 14 through which shielding gas passes from right to left, eventually emerging from a nozzle 15-connected to the end of the head tube. Head tube 14 also encloses a monocoil liner 47 through which a welding wire 45 passes from right to left, ultimately exiting from contact tube 48. The welding gun has a generally cylindrical tubular handle portion 16 also made of rigid plastic which in conjunction with casing 12 provides a means to support rubber boot or sleeve 20 which forms a flexible, electrically insulating wall between the rigid handle portion 16 and case 12. Spaced radially in-wardly from the flexible wall 20 is an outer switch coil spring 22 made of conducting material, such as spring brass, phosphor bronze, beryllium copper or plated s~eel. Spaced radially inwardly from outer switch spring 22 is an inner ; switch coil spring 24 whi-h is also made of conducting material. The springs 22 and 24 are supported on internal shoulders 25, 26 and 27~ 28 respectively, of handle portion 16 and casing 12~ Shoulders 27 and 28 provide a cylindrical space or void 29 beneath spring 24, thereby permitting an inward overtravel of the springs when they are depressed.
An end portion 30 of switch spring 22 is connected to a switch lead 32 by means of a connector 34. ~n end portion 36 of the inner switch spring 24 is similarly :a21313OE~
connected to another switch lead 38 by means of a connector 40. These leads are contained within a welding cable 42 which exits from the back end of welding gun 10. The leads are connected to a circuit containing start/stop relay 43 which operates its contacts 43a to close a circult to a con-ventional welding power source and wire feeder 44 which initiates a welding process by applying a voltage to the welding wire 45 and lnitiating operation of a wire feeder to produce an arc between the welding wire and a workpiece 46.
In operation, when the welding machine operator desires to initiate a welding process, he depresses the flexible in-sulating wall 20 radially inwardly with either his thumb or a finger. When the outer switch spring 22 is engaged by the wall, it is also depressed radially inwardly until it engages the inner switch spring 24, thereby forming an electrical connection between the two springs and completing the circuit through the switch leads 32 and 38, thus allowing control power to flow through the switch leads to energize the start/
stop relay 43 and start the arc welding process. The void or space 29 beneath the inner switch spring 24 provides for the desired overtravel of the switch formed by the two springs.
When the operator desires to interrupt the welding process, he releases the pressure from the flexible wall 20, thereby permitting both springs to return to their original positions so that the electrical contact between them is interrupted, whereby the start/stop relay 43 opens and terminates the welding process.
It is important to note that such a switch machanism is multi-directional in the sense that the operator can depress the wall portion 20 at any point on the circumference thereof in order to cause the two springs to engage each other and operate the start/stop relay; thus, there is no need to relocate the switch relative to the welding gun handle in order to accommodate different welding positions. Further-more, the void 29 provides for overtravel, so that, if theoperator does not reposition his hand and relax the pressure on wall 20, the switch is not so sensitive that it will ~4 immediately open, but rather the springs will stay in contact with each other as they move together outwardly. Also, the combination of the flexible wall 20 and the two wound coll springs 22 and 24 provides a switch which is easily depressed.
The switch is not limited to gas metal arc weldlng guns alone, but can be used to control the starting and stopping of other welding processes. Further, the swltch is very simple and very rugged and has only two moving parts, thc two springs 22 and 24. Furthermore, the multi-directional switch does not increase the diameter of the gun handle portion 16 and handle casing 12 since a trigger mechanism is not required.
In addition, all electrical wiring is internal to the handle.
Also, there is no need to disassemble the gun or to use tools in order to relocate the switch when the operator changes the psition of the welding gun in his hand.
Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention in which a rigid metallic tube 24' is used in place of the inner con-tact coil spring 24. In this case, the tube 24' may be supported on a soft sponge rubber mounting 28' which will deflect upon depression and provide overtravel.
As shown in Fig. 4~ the outer coil spring 22 may be replaced by an accordion-type spring 22' which is used in conjunction with the rigid tube 24' and soft sponge rubber mounting 28'.
As shown in Fig. 5, the outer spring 22 can also be replaced with a tube 22'' made of conducting plastic or rubber material.
Fig. 6 shows yet another embodiment wherein the outer spring 22 is replaced by an oval spring 22'''. Depressing the oval spring causes it to deflect against the rigid inner tube 24' to form the electrical connection, and over-travel is obtained from the inward compression or collapsing of the oval spring 22''' itself.
Claims (8)
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. In a welding gun having an elongated tubular rigid handle including a switch means for electrically completing an electrical circuit to initiate a welding process, the improvement wherein said switch means comprises:
a flexible electrically insulating tubular wall completely surrounding a portion of said rigid handle in a circumferential opening thereof and also surrounding a corresponding portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle, said wall being manually depressible at all points around the circumference thereof inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle;
electrically conducting outer tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of, and adjacent to, said flexible wall and depressible inwardly when engaged by said wall; and electrically conducting inner tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of said outer spring means and adapted to be contacted by the depressed outer spring means to complete an electrical circuit to initiate a welding process;
wherein said outer spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall;
wherein said inner spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall; and wherein said wall, said outer spring means and said inner spring means are cylindrical and coaxial.
a flexible electrically insulating tubular wall completely surrounding a portion of said rigid handle in a circumferential opening thereof and also surrounding a corresponding portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle, said wall being manually depressible at all points around the circumference thereof inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle;
electrically conducting outer tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of, and adjacent to, said flexible wall and depressible inwardly when engaged by said wall; and electrically conducting inner tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of said outer spring means and adapted to be contacted by the depressed outer spring means to complete an electrical circuit to initiate a welding process;
wherein said outer spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall;
wherein said inner spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall; and wherein said wall, said outer spring means and said inner spring means are cylindrical and coaxial.
2. The improvement defined in claim 1 further comprising an electrical circuit, and electrical conductor means connecting said outer spring means and said inner spring means to said electrical circuit.
3. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the opposite ends of both said inner and outer tubular coil springs are supported on said handle.
4. In a welding gun having an elongated tubular rigid handle including a switch means for electrically completing a circuit to initiate a welding process, the improvement wherein said switch means comprises:
a flexible electrically insulating tubular wall completely surrounding a portion of said rigid handle in a circumferential opening thereof and also surrounding a corresponding portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle, said wall being manually depressible at all points around the circumference thereof inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle;
electrically conducting outer tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of, and adjacent to, said flexible wall and depressible inwardly when engaged by said wall; and electrically conducting inner tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of said outer spring means and adapted to be contacted by the depressed outer spring means to complete an electrical circuit to initiate a welding process;
wherein said outer spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall;
wherein said inner spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall; and wherein the handle has a circumferential void interiorly of said inner spring means to permit inward overtravel of said inner spring means.
a flexible electrically insulating tubular wall completely surrounding a portion of said rigid handle in a circumferential opening thereof and also surrounding a corresponding portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle, said wall being manually depressible at all points around the circumference thereof inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle;
electrically conducting outer tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of, and adjacent to, said flexible wall and depressible inwardly when engaged by said wall; and electrically conducting inner tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of said outer spring means and adapted to be contacted by the depressed outer spring means to complete an electrical circuit to initiate a welding process;
wherein said outer spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall;
wherein said inner spring means is an elongated tubular coil spring having a longitudinal axis corresponding to that of said flexible wall; and wherein the handle has a circumferential void interiorly of said inner spring means to permit inward overtravel of said inner spring means.
5. In a welding gun having an elongated tubular rigid handle including a switch means for electrically completing a circuit to initiate a welding process, the improvement wherein said switch means comprises:
a flexible electrically insulating tubular wall completely surrounding a portion of said rigid handle in a circumferential opening thereof and also surrounding a corresponding portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle, said wall being manually depressible at all points around the circumference thereof inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle;
electrically conducting outer tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of, and adjacent to, said flexible wall and depressible inwardly when engaged by said wall; and electrically conducting inner tubular means mounted in the handle interiorly of said outer spring means and adapted to be contacted by the depressed outer spring means to complete all electrical circuit to initiate a welding process;
wherein said inner tubular means is a rigid metal tube; and further comprising means resiliently mounting said tube in the handle to permit overtravel of said inner tubular means when contacted by said outer spring means.
a flexible electrically insulating tubular wall completely surrounding a portion of said rigid handle in a circumferential opening thereof and also surrounding a corresponding portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle, said wall being manually depressible at all points around the circumference thereof inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle;
electrically conducting outer tubular spring means mounted in the handle interiorly of, and adjacent to, said flexible wall and depressible inwardly when engaged by said wall; and electrically conducting inner tubular means mounted in the handle interiorly of said outer spring means and adapted to be contacted by the depressed outer spring means to complete all electrical circuit to initiate a welding process;
wherein said inner tubular means is a rigid metal tube; and further comprising means resiliently mounting said tube in the handle to permit overtravel of said inner tubular means when contacted by said outer spring means.
6. The improvement defined in claim 5 wherein said outer spring means is an accordion spring.
7. The improvement defined in claim 5 wherein said outer spring means is a resilient tube made of a conducting plastic material.
8. The improvement defined in claim 5 wherein said outer spring means is an oval spring, the depression of which causes compression of the oval spring to provide overtravel.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US502,055 | 1983-06-07 | ||
| US06/502,055 US4540871A (en) | 1983-06-07 | 1983-06-07 | Welding gun with multi-directional switch |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1203854A true CA1203854A (en) | 1986-04-29 |
Family
ID=23996145
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000455769A Expired CA1203854A (en) | 1983-06-07 | 1984-06-04 | Welding gun with multi-directional switch |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4540871A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1203854A (en) |
Families Citing this family (14)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE3409944A1 (en) * | 1984-03-17 | 1985-09-26 | Olympus Winter & Ibe GmbH, 2000 Hamburg | HF RESECTION ENDOSCOPE |
| US5260546A (en) * | 1991-05-10 | 1993-11-09 | Ingwersen John A | Gun for gas metal arc welding |
| US5132513A (en) * | 1991-05-10 | 1992-07-21 | Ingwersen John A | Gun for gas metal arc welding |
| US5779130A (en) * | 1994-08-05 | 1998-07-14 | United States Surgical Corporation | Self-contained powered surgical apparatus |
| US5708244A (en) * | 1995-10-19 | 1998-01-13 | Conti; William S. | Handgrip switch assembly |
| US6308792B1 (en) * | 1999-05-11 | 2001-10-30 | Michael S. Garrett | Electrical switch for a wagon |
| NL1017424C2 (en) * | 2001-02-22 | 2002-08-23 | Megadent Endo Products B V | Dental instrument with heated tip, uses flexible foil switch within shaft of instrument, under flexible collar |
| US6781070B1 (en) | 2003-01-29 | 2004-08-24 | Herker Industries, Inc. | Indexing rotary switch |
| US20090078688A1 (en) * | 2007-09-26 | 2009-03-26 | Illinois Tool Works Inc. | System and method of operating a welding gun |
| CN102152043A (en) * | 2011-04-14 | 2011-08-17 | 昆山日皓焊切器材有限公司 | Structure-improved welding torch |
| GB2496624A (en) * | 2011-11-16 | 2013-05-22 | Gyrus Medical Ltd | Surgical instrument with a plurality of handswitches |
| US10406621B2 (en) * | 2012-06-08 | 2019-09-10 | Illinois Tool Works Inc. | Polarity sensing welding wire feeder system and method |
| US20160339533A1 (en) * | 2015-05-18 | 2016-11-24 | Abb Technology Ag | Robotically controlled gas tungsten arc welder and method for operating the same |
| US20200376583A1 (en) * | 2019-06-03 | 2020-12-03 | Illinois Tool Works Inc. | Systems and methods to monitor the life of a welding torch |
Family Cites Families (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2270687A (en) * | 1939-10-24 | 1942-01-20 | Ralph W Morse | Curb indicator signal |
| US2651689A (en) * | 1952-02-04 | 1953-09-08 | Bame Karl | Door operated switch |
| FR1372023A (en) * | 1963-08-02 | 1964-09-11 | Pneumatic time delay electric switch | |
| US3469070A (en) * | 1967-06-29 | 1969-09-23 | Arthur A Bernard | Arc welding gun |
| US3783233A (en) * | 1967-10-04 | 1974-01-01 | Co Ordinated Ind Inc | Welding gun cooling structure and electrode tip retainer |
| US3596049A (en) * | 1969-07-02 | 1971-07-27 | Ralph Ogden | Air-cooled welding gun |
| US3706864A (en) * | 1971-06-15 | 1972-12-19 | Simmonds Precision Products | Depth sensing switch with tubular housing having a diaphragm encompassing a portion of said housing |
| US3743798A (en) * | 1971-09-13 | 1973-07-03 | North American Rockwell | Elongated spring coil conductors applying tension force to pushbutton actuators in keyboard matrix switch assembly |
| US3980860A (en) * | 1971-11-04 | 1976-09-14 | Hobart Brothers Company | Fume extracting torch handle |
| US3746814A (en) * | 1971-12-20 | 1973-07-17 | Sybron Corp | Finger actuated surgical electrode holder |
-
1983
- 1983-06-07 US US06/502,055 patent/US4540871A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1984
- 1984-06-04 CA CA000455769A patent/CA1203854A/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| US4540871A (en) | 1985-09-10 |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKEX | Expiry |